My Persuasive Essay, Privileges for Teens

There are times when a rule could save our lives, and the again there are times when they can cage us beyond reason. We could be in trouble and a rule could prevent us from tipping over the edge of disaster. At other times certain rules are unnecessary and only prevent us from being free. At our school, Fairfield Junior High, we have a lot more rules than many of the other schools around the country. Students at Fairfield should have more privileges than we currently have.
Removing some rules or adding a few privileges will not only make students at Fairfield happier, it will also make the teachers and administration less stressed. For if there are fewer rules that need to be enforced then they can deal with the bigger problems and not have to worry about all of the little problems that go on. They will be able to handle the really serious problems with drugs and violence instead of spending their valuable time reprimanding a student for having a small dress code violation. Also, students will be much happier and willing to come to school if they know they will not get in trouble for reasons some of them don’t even understand. I remember vividly nearly receiving points for breaking an unknown school rule. The rule? I forgot to put the time I left class on the hall pass I was using. It was terrifying to a young seventh grader like me. The rule I was in trouble for was unnecessary and only put pressure on me and the woman giving me punishment. Some may say that every rule exists in order to make the school run smoothly, but I beg to differ. Some of the rules at our school could be eliminated, and we could still have a peaceful school. To name a few of these rules, the rule that you have to sign in the time and reason of leaving class with the hall pass, the rule that you must pick up trash as you walk down the halls with the hall pass, the rule in which you cannot wear clothing with holes in them, etc. Having unnecessary rules puts unneeded stress on faculty and staff at our school, and the students build resentment toward the punishers who are only doing their jobs. By eliminating some rules, the faculty, staff and students will all be much happier. Besides creating a peaceful school environment, giving us more privileges will allow students to express their individuality.
One of today’s teen’s favorite ways of expressing themselves is through dress. Our school, Fairfield Junior High, we have many more dress standards than many of the other schools around the country. This isn’t all bad, but many of us would enjoy being able to wear a greater variety of clothing. My friend told me of a time when she and her friend from another school went shopping and got matching hats. Her friends wore hers to school; my friend did not and really wanted to. Another way that we like to express ourselves is through our talents. We have many programs at our school but we are not allowed to use cameras. Many of my friends and I scrapbook and to me it would be fun to be able to put together a scrapbook of my friends. However, I cannot take pictures of very many of my friends because I only see them at school. I believe we should be able to use cameras at school. There will be consequences for using them inappropriately; the privilege of using them will be taken away if this happens. If we cannot be allowed to use cameras all the time then perhaps we will be able to use them on the last day of school. It may be said that teens are not responsible enough to handle the privilege of dressing according to our wants and carrying cameras, but I have observed at our school a great many responsible students. By this time in our lives most of us are responsible enough to handle these privileges in the correct manner. As for the few who are not, as soon as the rule is broken by them, the privilege will be suspended from them for an amount of time appropriate to the offense. Besides letting us display our individuality, giving us simple privileges now will prepare us for the future and making good choices in behalf of America.
Teens need to have more privileges so that we will be able to make wise choices when we are the future of the country. We are the ones which will someday be the presidents, lawyers, military commanders, teachers and other important figures of our country. We need to learn now, in our youth, how to make wise decisions. If we were able to choose the sort of language we use, the sort of things we carry with us at school, and so forth, the more prepared the future generation will be to run our country one day. According to Parent Trust for Washington Children, it is wise to eliminate rules or add privileges to produce better behaved children. Also, since we will be running the country one day, we need experience in leadership privileges. The student government has plenty of opportunities, but the rest of the school does not. If the privilege of leadership responsibility was given in more ways the rest of us could learn how to lead our peers early on, so that we can be the leaders of the future. Of course some may say that we are not prepared enough to hold positions of leadership, and that we may abuse our power. The power given to the leading students will be supervised power and the decisions given to them will be limited. Therefore there is no need for concern on behalf of the leading students.
By giving students at Fairfield Junior High school more privileges, we will be in for a brighter future here in our country because we, the future commanders of this country, will know how to make good decisions when the time comes. The students at our school should receive more privileges. The students will be much happier because they will feel less confined by dress code and other rules that limit heir capabilities to express themselves, and the teachers and administration themselves will be much less stressed because they will not have to enforce so many rules. If we simply give teens more privileges, we can look forward to a wonderful future!